How to get from Agadir to Essaouira

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The Moroccan cities of Agadir and Essaouira might only be 175km apart but, aside from their locations on the Atlantic coast, they don’t have a great deal in common. Where Agadir is loud and brash, popular with a package-tour crowd, Essaouira is quieter and offers a more relaxed pace of life. They both offer a fascinating contrast to one another and many visitors travel between the two on their Moroccan adventure.

It’s a well-trodden route with plenty of options to get from Agadir to Essaouira. In this guide we’ll take you through them all, helping you to choose the best way to make the journey along the coast.

If you’re planning to spend a day or so in Agadir, make sure you check out our guide for things to do in Agadir. Or perhaps you’re trying to decide whether you should visit Agadir or Essaouira?

Getting the bus from Agadir to Essaouira

Perhaps the most straightforward and cost-effective option is to take the bus from Agadir to Essaouira. Buses depart from the well-organised and modern main bus station (Gare Routiere) in Agadir, just to the east of the city centre. You can also buy tickets here if you haven’t been able to book online.

Buses don’t tend to get fully booked in Morocco, aside from busy periods around public holidays and weekends, however it always makes sense to reserve your seat as soon as possible to save any problems.

The main operator from Agadir to Essaouira is CTM, which is slightly more expensive than the other operators, but the buses are more reliable and comfortable. In Essaouira, the CTM buses arrive at the CTM office on Place 11 Janvier, while the other bus companies drop off at the main bus station to the northeast of the medina.

We often use 12Go to book tickets and it’s also a really useful resource for checking timetables, routes and availability. However in this case, if you’re planning to travel with CTM, it’s slightly cheaper if you book directly with them on their website. Once you’ve selected your journey, seat (an added bonus to be able to choose this online in advance) and made payment, your ticket will be issued as a pdf, which can be shown to the driver when you board.

Tickets cost from 95DH (same price for adults and children) on the CTM bus and from around 80DH with the other bus companies. Note that Supratours don’t have a direct bus between Agadir and Essaouira.

There are three CTM buses per day, taking around three and a half hours, usually with one brief stop in Tamanar. The buses follow the N1 road the whole way, so it makes for an easy and comfortable journey. The first hour of the journey hugs the coastline before moving slightly inland until you reach Essaouira.

The luggage allowance is generous at around 40kg but remember that larger items will need to be processed at the luggage desk before boarding. The staff member will issue you with a ticket (5DH per bag) and you then take your luggage to the bus where it’s stowed underneath for the journey. Smaller bags can be taken onboard with you and placed in the overhead storage area.

Self-drive from Agadir to Essaouira

The stretch of coastline between Agadir and Essaouira is ideal for a road-trip and there are plenty of places to stop off along the way. If you have a few days available in your itinerary, a self-drive road trip is a fun way to travel between the two coastal cities.

Check out our suggested five day road trip from Agadir to Essaouira where you’ll find inspiration on the best places to visit, including Taghazout, Imsouane and Sidi Kaouki.

Car hire in Morocco is fairly inexpensive although you will need to factor in one-way hire surcharge if you’re planning to drop the car off in Essaouira. Prices for a four day hire (including the one-way fee) start from 700DH.

Driving in Morocco is straightforward and largely hassle-free, especially on this route as it’s away from the bigger cities and major population centres. Just keep an eye out for speed traps along the way, the police are adept at finding hidden spots to lie in wait.

Private transfer from Agadir to Essaouira

If you’d prefer to let someone else do the driving, the fastest way to get from Agadir to Essaouira is via a private transfer. The standard of driving and vehicles are excellent, often in eight-seater minivans with air-conditioning and tinted windows, making them a comfortable option.

It’s often easiest to arrange via your accommodation as they will have the best local contacts. You should expect to pay around 1100DH and you’ll be collected from your Agadir accommodation and dropped off as close as possible to your place in Essaouira (vehicles can’t enter the medina so you’ll have to walk from the closest bab/gate).

If you’re travelling as a family, or members of your group have limited mobility, private transfers are the best option as they remove the need to make a separate trip to reach the start and end point (e.g. a bus station). They can also slightly tailor the itinerary to your requirements, e.g. pulling over for toilet stops or a quick break to stretch your legs.

Grand Taxi from Agadir to Essaouira

The middle ground between a bus and private transfer is a Grand Taxi which can be arranged at the Grand Taxi station on Rue de Fes.

Grand taxis in Morocco can either be booked in their entirety (e.g. it’ll become a private taxi just for your group), or you can pay for one of the five or six seats and wait for it to fill up with other people (it’s now a shared taxi).

Somewhere in the station, usually at a kiosk near the entrance (and often discreetly hidden from tourists) there will be an official price chart to help you gauge the prices, but you should expect to pay around 120DH for one seat, or 600DH for the entire taxi. If you’re in the a large group of 4+, it can make for a good deal as it’s around 500DH cheaper than a private transfer, but it won’t be as comfortable and there’s limited space for luggage.

If you’re travelling alone, it’s cheaper and easier to just get the CTM bus if the timings work out.

Can you fly from Agadir to Essaouira?

No, there aren’t any direct flights from Agadir to Essaouira.

If for some reason you simply had to fly, the ‘fastest’ route would take close to 24 hours via Marseille or Paris. This is because the only domestic airport that has flights to/from Agadir and Essaouira is in Tangier, but the infrequent flights don’t connect with each other.

So the short answer is no, you can’t fly directly from Agadir to Essaouira, and no-one would realistically choose to do so via the indirect options.

Can you take the train from Agadir to Essaouira?

No, neither Agadir nor Essaouira are on the otherwise excellent Moroccan railway network.

High-speed trains link Tangier to Rabat and Casablanca, with slower trains serving Marrakech, Meknes and Fes, but unfortunately no trains serve Agadir or Essaouira.

Final thoughts on how to get from Agadir to Essaouira

The cities of Agadir and Essaouira are linked by several convenient transport options, making it easy and affordable to travel between the two. If you have the time, a self-drive road trip makes for a fun adventure and also let’s you see some of the beautiful beach towns on the way.

Otherwise, if you want to do the journey in one day, the CTM bus is comfortable and reliable, and it’s a bonus that you can book seats online and print out your pdf ticket. Both of the CTM bus stations in Agadir and Essaouira are central and easy to navigate.

A private transfer is the most expensive option but certainly the easiest, especially if you’re travelling as a young family or people with limited mobility. It’s handy being picked up directly from your accommodation, and the driver will make stops along the way as and when you need them. The Grand Taxis are less convenient and potentially more hassle, but they do save a few dirhams.

Finally, for the time being at least, flying and trains are out of the question. It’s a good thing that aeroplanes don’t fly such a short distance, but hopefully one day the high-speed railway line will be extended down from Casablanca and link these two coastal towns to each other, and the rest of the country.

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